Rise to the Top
by Eddug
Summary: After team Goliath was formed, the leader, Brutus, set out to show Gorge he isn't the only Juggernaut in the Tournament to be reckoned with.
1. Meeting the Team

Rise to the Top

Chapter One: Meeting the Crew

"Ok Brutus, I think everything should be stable," the Liandri doctor said to Brutus as he looked over a piece of paper, "you may have to try and take it easy for a little bit, try not to overwork yourself in the Tournaments, or else you may be back here again."

Brutus was, naturally, going to just ignore the doctor's orders. He felt fine, and that was good enough for him. He stepped down off the table that he was sitting on and exited from the medical examination room. The doors slid open with a hiss, and exposed a long hallway. It was very plain looking, just normal doors were placed down the hallway, with different hallways branching off. At the end was a large elevator with a panel. That's where all fun started, was right at that elevator.

Brutus walked down the plain hallway and stepped into his room. It wasn't so much as a room, as it was an actual prison cell. Brutus had been sentenced to the games as punishment, for he was a career criminal. He didn't mind it too much, but then Liandri Corporation, the main company behind the Tournaments, decided he would be the perfect person for several awaited tests. He was naturally well built, fairly large, and the scientists figured he'd be able to handle it. They enhanced Brutus, making him almost twice a human. He traditionally wears large metal armour for when he's fighting, something a normal sized man could wear and still move in. Even outside his armor, Brutus was able to crush a man with his bare-hands.

He turned the knob into his door and swung it open. He stepped in and revealed a fairly well furnished room. It had a couch with a TV attached to the corner across from it. A bed was in the separate room, with a bathroom attached to that. There was no decorations, and if there were at the beginning, Brutus ripped them all down. He was, of course, angered that he had been caught and thrown into the prison, but after his first few days here, after his qualification matches, his help with Gorge in receiving the Tournament Championship and holding it for a year, and then soon after becoming the leader of his own team, Brutus came to learn that it wasn't so bad.

He stepped into the main room, where the couch and TV were set, to see a woman sitting on the couch. It was a fellow team-mate under Brutus' command, appereantly coming to see how the check-up went with Brutus. If the leader wasn't able to fight properly in the Tournaments, someone else would have to take the lead, something any one of the Goliath team-mates were willing to do.

"Whatever it is that doc puts into me each time, it sure numbs my arm," Brutus said, rotating his right shoulder slowly,

"What'd the doc say? Still able to compete?" Titania, the woman on the couch, said to him. Out of all the team members, she was most-likely the most deserving of being appointed leader if an incident were to occur.

"Yeah, he said I gotta take it easy, though. Then again, I never gave his orders much attention, so even if he told me to sit out, they'd have to bring down the guards and hold me in the room to keep me from the Tournaments," Brutus said as he sat down on the couch near Titania. She seemed to have a slight disappointed look in her face, but carried on anyway,

"At least we can still keep our leader. We need to show Gorge that he isn't the only Juggernaut around here." Titania, unlike most of the Goliath team, wasn't placed in the Tournaments under punishment. After losing her husband in a mining accident, and having nothing else to live for, she decided to join into the Tournaments. She was also looked at for being gene-spliced, and was decided that she could handle it. Being a woman, it was significantly different than injecting their gene-booster into her. Brutus looked at the TV that was always playing matches or old matches of the Tournament. Usually in the day, they were to play new matches, since there was generally a new one each day. Mostly in the morning they played qualification matches between new competitors, in the afternoon it was mixed up, sometimes Ladder matches, or still qualifications. But once it hit around evening, that's when all the serious competition starts.

Brutus and the Goliaths have a match to play later this afternoon, it wasn't much, just a small ladder match for them in order to advance through the ranks. They had been competing for about a month, and have managed to climb their way up quite a bit. Only a few smaller matches, then all the difficult ones really started to take place. This year, there was no Champion, though all the old champions from past were there to reclaim. Malcolm had recently recovered from injuries, and he and his team Thunder Crash were quickly rising to the top with little difficulties. Then, the infamous Xan Kriegor was back again, after taking a break away from the Tournaments after being overthrown due to Malcolm. His cybernetic team of The Corrupt were there to make sure that Malcolm wasn't able to regain his title once more. Gorge and his team of Juggernauts were back, as well. Gorge had gained the Championship title, and even held it for a year. He came back to prove that it was no fluke.

Brutus helped gain Gorge his title, but he was then offered his own team, after the Liandri had seen his success, they decided to make a separate team, thinking it would help even more with their publicity.

Brutus grunted at the TV, he never really liked the qualification matches,

"They're just a bunch of jumping idiots when they first come in," he said as he sat back in the couch. Titania couldn't help but agree, they were all nervous their first round, with perfect reason to be. Even though when they died in the game, they didn't actually die, though they did receive the pain and sometimes even a scar, or a serious injury. Titania stood up from the couch

"I guess I'd better prepare for the match, it's only in a few hours. I'll see you then." She walked out of the door into the hallway, and Brutus nodded to her. He continued to watch the match, despite the fact he didn't like it. Watching a match always got him in the mood for wanting to go out there and fight. He rested back in the couch and let the time slip by, until he had to get ready.

Brutus walked from the couch in the separate room, the small bedroom. His suit was piled up on the wall opposite from the bed, with a small dresser at the end post of the bed. Brutus suited up, he looked even bigger and even more intimidating than usual in his armor, it made him appear twice as big. He walked through his room and out into the hallway, a loud metal clang with each step. He stood at the elevator and turned around, his back facing it. He waited for the rest of his team to arrive, and sure enough, they were all coming out from their rooms. The first to approach him was Titania, she stood to his right, her back to the Elevator just like Brutus. The next was Fury. She strangled a judge out of pure rage, and was sentenced to a life in the Tournaments due to that. She faced just like the other two.

The third after Fury was Bullseye. He wasn't sentenced in here, just like Titania, but rather ended up in the games due to his genetic makeup, and he didn't really want to be there.

After him, was Clangor. Clangor is a beast of a woman, but her looks should never be mentioned. No one really knows what happened, but everyone just as well assumed it was during the genetic boosts that caused her to be the way she is now.

The last to file in, was Misery. She used to be the Union Leader of a mining company, where the Tournament originally started, but after being bribed and finding it insulting from an Imperial officer, she cut off his hands, and used his prints to hack into the system.

None of them said anything, but they all turned once Misery joined them, and walked to the elevator. Brutus pressed a button a console in front of them, and a small speaker-box next to the group switched on, "You're opposing team, The Hellions, are ready. Please proceed to the main area." And the speaker switched off. Brutus pushed another button, and the elevator began. The crowd in the arena wasn't very large, it was, after all, just a small battle. But die-hard fans of the games always showed up, especially to support their teams. A few waving banners and flags with the Goliath's team insignia flowed around the stadium, along with the Hellion's mark, as well. Brutus and his team proceed up the ramp into the center, as the announcer boomed in over the speaker system around the stadium. The Hellions, on the opposite end, entered up the ramp and met Brutus' team at the center. Brutus raised his arm in the air and brought it down with a crushing force. The hovering screen above both teams began to flash several different arenas, then slowed to a stop. The announcer boomed back over the speakers,

"Today's arena for our Team Deathmatch is… Deck 17!"

CONTINUED…

That's all for Chapter One. I just wanted to have the members of Goliath introduced, and see if this story gets any attention. I'll have the Team Deathmatch next chapter. Thanks for reading!


	2. Goliaths VS The Hellions

Rise to the Top

Chapter Two: Goliath VS The Hellions

A shimmer of blue and white came over the team, and they were transported to a hallway that stretched down both ways, then reached around the corner. Brutus was separate from his team, like usual. A female voice patched in through everyone's headset,

"3... 2… 1… Begin" and the fighting was under way. Brutus ran directly off to his right, he had been through this map before, and he knew running out into the middle without being well-armed was near suicide, even for him. He snatched up a Link Gun and some extra cartridges, running down the adjoining hallway and farther down. This hallway led out directly into the main room, on the highest floor. He rounded the corner and began to take it a little more cautiously into the room. He was vulnerable from below, the front, and to his left. He scanned the floor that he was on and found it mostly clear. Brutus saw a quick flash of light come out from the corner of his eye, and hoped it was one of his. "Bullseye drew first blood!" showed up on Brutus' data pad on his arm. He grinned to himself, just what he was hoping for. His moment of bliss was struck away at a poorly placed Shock Rifle shot. It hit down near his leg and heated up the ground next to him, then dissipated. Brutus raised his Link Gun and fired a few shots, just to scare the person. He charged full on, there were a few large metal crates that the opposition could hide behind, and Brutus didn't like hide-and-seek very much.

He scanned one side of a crate, looking behind it. Nothing. He moved to the next crate, when suddenly a shot struck him in the back. He stumbled, but regained quickly. Brutus turned around quickly and used the alt-fire for the Link Gun and streamed a solid line, heating up anything it went across. But again, the opposition had yet to be seen. He continued slowly, his temper was already gone, and if he came face to face with this person, he'd be sure to make the pain they could feel worth it.

The enemy was running out of crates to hide behind, and he rounded another one. Still nothing. He rounded the last one, and there she was. "You little bitch!" Brutus roared out. He thrusted his hand out, grabbing Rae's neck. He squeezed tightly, crushing her windpipe, and disposed of her quickly. She clawed at his metal hand, not able to get away from his grasp, and soon her body was limp. Brutus tossed her body over the edge into the large lava pit below.

Brutus grabbed the discarded shock rifle and switched it for the Link Gun. He saw another flash of light from the corner of his eye, and thought Bullseye must've gotten someone else. He continued on the platform on the upper level and into the hallway. He entered out into the main room again, across the large bridges that are the only thing between them, and a fiery death from the lava pit below. He dashed across the bridge, knowing he was wide open for attack. He raised his Shock Rifle as he entered into another one of the hallways, and was met with a chaingun unleashed into his side. He turned as the armor piercing bullets started to do their job. He fired a shot, but found it difficult, the Shock Rifle fired off and hit Garrett in the shoulder, causing the spray of bullets to lead up and penetrate into the ceiling, giving Brutus temporary relief. He fired another shot and hit Garrett in the chest, causing him to stumble back. He fired a last shot and cleaned off Garrett's head, his body crumpling to the ground.

Blood was beginning to seep in through Brutus' armor, but he knew he had to press on. He could find the relief in death once someone served it to him, he'd never stop. Brutus patched in through the radio, "I could use a little back-up!" he shouted. Clangor was the first to respond, she was the closest to his position,

"I'm coming for you." She replied back to him, and soon appeared around the corner jogging toward him. Brutus raised his gun to watch her back as she came around, just in case.

"Took some nasty hits. Need a little cover fire until I find a med." He spoke briefly to her as she came into close proximity to Brutus. She nodded that she understood, and they continued down the hall. Brutus check his data pad on his arm, the score was currently 7-5, Goliath in the lead. They had to go to 15, and still had plenty of time left. Brutus was confident they had this one.

Brutus found the health kit in the end corner of the hallway he was on, and he could feel the pain from the minigun going away instantly. It still stung slightly, he figured some bullets must've stuck themselves into his gut, but most of the pain was gone, at least. He turned back around to check their back's as Clangor checked the platform the lead out from the hallway. Brutus turned, only to meet a large purple, white ball. A shot was fired from a Shock Rifle, hitting the core, causing the power to ripple out from within and force Brutus against the wall. His head jarred against the large metal suit, and he blacked out. He didn't see what happened to Clangor, but she was thrown and killed as well, most likely.

He respawned not too far from where he died, only equipped with an automatic rifle, and a small Enforcer at his hip. He checked his data pad again, and sure enough, the score was tied at 7-7. The Shock combo had killed both of them. They had to win this match if they planned on advancing faster in the Tournament. "We need to kick this up, people. They've tied with us, and we need this match. Show no mercy against them!" He yelled to his team over the headset. His entire team yelled back to him in confirmation, and he saw all of them rush out into the middle area, each of them firing shots off, laying waste to anything they saw. Brutus found a small platform with a minigun on top, he skipped the stairs leading up and grabbed the minigun.

Brutus leaped back down the platform, wielding the minigun, and charged on down the hallway. He turned off to his right, into the main room, on the lowest bridge, and halfway across the bridge came running Kane, another member of The Hellions.

Brutus clicked his trigger, and the gears began to spin, unleashing a wide spray of armor piercing bullets. Kane was hit several times in the torso, but managed to fire a shot of hot metal shards from the flak cannon. They ricocheted off the ground and embedded themselves into Brutus' armor. He felt it, but just barely. He continue his spray from the minigun, and finally a shot ran through Kane's skull, and he dropped to the floor.

He ran across the bridge and slid his minigun around his back, using the strap to hold it and picked up Kane's now discarded flak cannon. He charged his way down the ramp, very confident within himself. He checked his data pad as he got away from the main room, the scored was 12-9, their lead. Just three kills left, and they could advance. "Bullseye is on a killing spree!" flashed up on his data pad, and Brutus knew they had this one for sure.

He followed the hallway until it started to lead up, and he was back on the platform that he started out on the beginning. He ran past the crates and up one of the two bridges to the highest level, he had a plan to wait it out up here, picking off anyone he could as they ran across.

As he reached up, he was met by a link gun line that coursed across his stomach. He dived as quickly as he could, tumbling behind more metal crates that were up there. He pointed his gun into the air, arching it back, and fired the alt-fire, a large ball of hot metal was fired up over the crates and exploded, causing smaller metal pieces to fly off into every direction.

Brutus stood and rounded around the crates, finding Kaela in serious pain. It looked as if the entire flak ball had landed on her, or at least right next to her.

Brutus stood over Kaela, his flak cannon in hand. Just before he fired, he remembered the long drop below them, and a vicious grin crossed his face. He bent down and grabbed the back of her shirt, blood pouring out of many wounds from her body. She was going to do soon, anyway.

With little effort, Brutus tossed the limp girl over the edge. She tumbled down and hit on the middle platform, her face crushing against it. She was then thrown into a series of several flips until the back of her head hit the walkway on the outside of the lava, and her body sank within the deadly fluid.

He checked his data pad once again, and the score had risin to 14-10. He looked down across the bridges for the final victim, until he heard a high caliber shot ring out through the arena, and Bullseye hit his mark.

"Blue team wins the match!" the announcer boomed out across their ear pieces. In a shimmer of white and blue, they were back in the main stadium. Several of the members from The Hellions were in bad shape, Kaela and Rae mainly. With the support of the medical officers on site, The Hellions turned back and returned to their elevator, lowering down in defeat.

Brutus, a large grin spread across his face, raised his fist into the air, letting out a loud yell as victor. The rest of his team followed his movement, and the crowd cheered for them, some of them booing or remaining silent, as team Goliath returned to their elevator, lowering themselves down back to their rooms.

They stopped in the hallway before returning to their room, Titania gave a sigh of relief, everyone else was bragging about their favorite kills through the match.

"If it wasn't for Brutus' wussy ass I wouldn't have died in the entire match," boasted Clangor. Brutus stopped to face Clangor,

"How about you try saying that again?" he growled to her, his fists clenched. Clangor started, but thought better of it. Brutus was chosen as the leader for good reason, he was ruthless and hardly afraid of anyone. "I thought as much." He turned back around and they began walking again down the halls. Everyone was silent the rest of the way, and they all broke off to go into their separate rooms.

Before Bullseye walked into his room, Brutus had to congratulate him, Bullseye held the highest score in that match. "That was some nice defense you held up out there. I'll expect to see that in the others, as well." Bullseye only nodded and entered into his room.

Brutus continued down the hall, and entered into his room. He took off his bulky armor and rested on the couch. That match wasn't as vigorous as some other he's been in, but a rest after any match was always good. He watched on the TV a few replays from old matches, until he drifted slowly off into a light sleep.


End file.
